


Prom 2

by zarrati



Series: Triplet Fic [5]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Triplet Fic, sonia centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5091746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Honey, I know prom is a big deal, but you don’t have to go with someone if you don’t want to just because they ask you. I thought you and Oliver were good friends.”</p><p>“That’s the problem!” Sonia bursts. “We’re just ‘good friends’. He asked me to go to prom with him ‘as his friend’. I’m going to be there with a bunch of upper classmen ‘as his friend’. Tons of prettier girls who will be wanting to dance with him, and I’ll just be there ‘as his friend’.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prom 2

 

“Wait, what?”

“He’s going to ask Sonia to the prom!” Leslie exclaims with a broad smile. “Isn’t this so exciting. Oh, my baby is going to prom. She’s going to need a dress, and new shoes, and we need to figure out how she wants her hair-”

“Babe, calm down,” Ben cuts in. “I am still very confused. He asked her to prom already?”

“Well, no not yet, but Ann called saying that she overheard Oliver talking to one of his friends about it and he said he was going to ask her.”

“So, it hasn’t happened yet, and we don’t know when or if it’s going to happen. All we know is that Ann eavesdropped on her son and told you about it?”

Leslie waves her hand dismissively. “Would you stop being such a sourpuss. First of all, she wasn’t eavesdropping. She was just walking by when he happened to be talking on the phone. And of course he’s going to ask her. They’ve been practically joined at the hip since Ann and Chris moved back to Pawnee. You can’t tell me you didn’t see this coming?”

Ben frowns and squirms uncomfortably. “But she’s only a Sophomore. Don’t you think she’s a little young to be going to prom?”

“Ben, it’s the Junior Prom. There are probably going to even be Freshmen there. She’ll be fine.”

His expression doesn’t change. “I don’t know how I feel about this, Leslie.”

She huffs in impatience crossing her arms to challenge him until she notices the slight look of fear in his eyes.

“Aw, Ben, honey, are you having one of those ‘my baby is growing up’ moments?”

“Maybe,” he mumbles with a shrug, suddenly finding the cuffs of his shirt very interesting.

Leslie ‘awwws’ again before going over and pulling him into a sympathetic hug. “I know it’s hard watching your little girl grow up, but she’s already 16 and this is going to be one of the most magical nights of her life. Plus, she’s smart and won’t do anything unsafe or stupid. And, come on, it’s Oliver. You love Oliver.”

“He’s alright,” he says noncommittally. 

“Oh, stop, you love him to death.”

“Yes,” Ben sighs. “He’s a great kid, and I do love him very much, but that’s as my godson, not the boy who’s going to date my daughter.”

“It’s just prom, babe. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that. But if it is, we’re going to be happy for them and love them because they are amazing and perfect for each other.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Yes, it is because I remember what it was like being a young woman her age, and we both know that she’s responsible. Let her have this.”

Ben gives her a sad, but resigned look, one that says he knows she’s right but doesn’t have to like it. 

Before he has a chance to answer, the front door slams open and three loud pairs of feet stampede through the foyer.

“Hey, guys, how was school?” Leslie asks.

“It was okay,” Steven answers. “Better for some than others, I’d say.” He smirks in Sonia’s direction, his sister blushing while Wesley laughs along with him.

“Would you two just shut up,” Sonia hisses.

“Oh come on, Soso. This is great stuff. You can’t expect us to just let it go,” Wesley ribs.

“Ugh, why do you two act so immature.”

The pair look at each other then turn back to their sister. “Because we can,” they say in unison, earning them another eye roll and shove.

“Okay,” Ben cuts in. “What’s going on?”

“Tell them, Soso,” Wesley says in a sickeningly sweet, lilting voice.

Steven makes kissing noises with his mouth. “Yeah, tell them.”

“Oh my God! It’s not a big deal. Oliver asked me to prom, okay?”

Leslie squeals and runs to throw her arms around Sonia. “Oh, honey, this is fantastic. Congratulations, I’m so happy for you.”

Sonia returns the hug less than enthusiastically before pulling away. “Yeah, it’s great. I’ve got homework to do.”

Before anyone can say a word, Sonia runs upstairs, her door slamming behind her.

* * *

“I really don’t feel like talking right now, Mom,” Sonia yells after hearing the soft knock on her door.

Ben opens it slowly and peers inside. “Does it help that it’s me and not your mother?”

“Not really,” she shrugs, clutching her worn, stuffed zebra to her chest. “I still don’t feel like talking.”

Ben takes a seat next to her on the bed. “Okay, but I think it might help you feel better.”

“I don’t see how.”

“Well, let’s give it a try anyway. I’ll even do most of the talking.” He waits for a little smile that never comes. “Okay, what’s up, Sunshine? I thought you’d be happy about this. Proms are supposed to be fun and exciting, but if you don’t want to go, no one is going to force you. This is entirely your choice.”

“Yeah, right,” Sonia scoffs. “Tell that to Mom.”

“Sweetheart, your mother was excited for you because she thought this was something you wanted. If it’s not, both of us will understand.”

Sonia squeezes the zebra to her tighter and shakes her head. “It’s not that I don’t want to go.”

“Okay, then what’s got you so down? Is it Oliver?”

Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.

“Honey, I know prom is a big deal, but you don’t have to go with someone if you don’t want to just because they ask you. I thought you and Oliver were good friends.”

“That’s the problem!” Sonia bursts. “We’re just ‘good friends’. He asked me to go to prom with him ‘as his friend’. I’m going to be there with a bunch of upper classmen ‘as his friend’. Tons of prettier girls who will be wanting to dance with him, and I’ll just be there ‘as his friend’.”

He thinks he’s seeing the problem. “And you were hoping that maybe you two could be more than friends.”

She lowers her head and shrugs again. “I know it’s stupid. I mean, we’ve known each other forever and he probably just sees me as his younger cousin or sister or something. He’s the best looking guy in our high school. What could he possibly see in me anyway?”

“Hey,” Ben protests softly, tucking a finger beneath his daughter’s chin to face him. “Now, Oliver may or may not like you romantically, but that doesn’t change how amazing you are in any way. You’re smart, funny, caring, loyal, and beautiful. People love you and love being around you because of the wonderful person that you are. If Oliver doesn’t like you, then yes, it might hurt, but he is still one of your oldest and closest friends, and he asked you to his prom because he couldn’t think of anyone else that he’d rather go with. If it’s still too painful, then no one will make you go if you don’t want to. This will be 100% your choice, but don’t dwell on what if’s and why not’s and let it take away something special. Especially don’t let it come between you and Oliver.” 

She picks at a loose thread on her zebra and sniffles. “It just really hurts, Daddy.”

She hasn’t called him daddy in ages, and his heart breaks for his little girl that isn’t so little anymore. He pulls her into a tight hug and kisses her hair. 

“I know it does, baby. I know it does.”

* * *

After weeks spent deciding what to do, mending a broken heart, dress and shoe shopping, and practice hair stylings, prom night finally arrives.

Ben answers the soft knock on the front door, revealing a very nervous looking Oliver Perkins-Traeger. He’s handsome in his fitted tuxedo, the spitting image of his father with few a few of Ann’s features thrown in. 

And he was also nervous.

“Hi, Oliver,” Ben greets. “Come on in.”

Oliver wipes a sweaty palm on his slacks and steps inside. “Uhm, thank you, sir. And thank you for letting Sonia come with me tonight.”

Ben laughs at his obvious discomfort. “What’s with this “sir” business. Just because you’re taking my daughter to prom doesn’t mean I can’t still be Uncle Ben.”

“Oh, uh, yes, sorry si- I mean Uncle Ben. I’m just a little nervous, I guess.”

“I noticed,” he grins. “It’s okay. I think it’s only normal to be a little nervous on prom night.”

“Oliver!” Leslie calls out as she runs down the stairs and pulls the young man into a bone crushing hug. “Let me look at you. Oh, you’re so handsome.”

Oliver blushes and smiles shyly. “Thank you, Aunt Leslie.”

“You’re welcome. Sonia will be down in a minute.”

“Thank you. And I just want to let you know that before we go to the dance, we’re gonna stop by my house real quick because my mom wants to take some pictures, then I’ll drive us straight to the High School and meet up with John and his date. We won’t leave the premises for any reason, nor will we drink, and there will certainly be no drunk driving on my part. I will have her back home by midnight.”

Leslie tears up and wipes away an invisible piece of fuzz from his jacket. “Look at how mature and responsible you are. You are turning into such a fine young man.”

“You’re not trying to steal my prom date from me, are you Mom?” Sonia says as she walks down the stairs.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Oh, look at how beautiful you look,” she chokes as a fresh set of tears flood her eyes.

Sonia rolls her eyes. “Mom, you saw me 5 minutes ago.”

“I can’t help it. My baby looks so grown up.”

Sonia smiles indulgently at her mother before shifting her attention to the young man frozen in her foyer, clutching the corsage with a death grip.

“Uh, I- wow,” Oliver stammers. “You look amazing.”

She lowers her head and tries to hide the blush creeping on her cheeks. “Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself.”

He gives her a crooked smile. “Oh, this old thing?” He thrusts the corsage at her. “Uhm, I got this for you.”

“Thank you,” she replies as he awkwardly helps her put it on, Leslie snapping pictures the entire time.

After about 15 minutes of posing for photographs, Ben decides to help his exasperated daughter.

“Hey, honey, I think we better let them go so that they can get to Ann and Chris’ on time. I’m sure you two can swap pictures later.”

“I guess you’re right,” Leslie sighs before sneaking in a few more snapshots. “Okay, okay, I’m done.” She puts the camera aside and pulls both Sonia and Oliver into a hug. “I love both of you so much. Now be safe and have a good time.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sonia grins before looking over to her father. 

“Don’t think you’re leaving here without a hug from your old man, Sunshine,” Ben teases. Before pulling away, he kisses her forehead and whispers in her ear. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. Have a good time, and remember what we talked about.”

“I will, and thank you.”

Ben and Leslie watch from the front door as Oliver walks Sonia to the car, opening the door for her before sprinting around to the driver’s side. 

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Leslie murmurs as Ben wraps an arm around her shoulder.

“Too fast if you ask me. Just think, next year we get to do this for all three.”

“Oh, God.”

* * *

It’s 11:53 when Oliver pulls up in front of the Knope-Wyatt household, shifting the car into park.

“Look at that,” Oliver points to the clock on the dashboard. “I have you back 7 minutes early. Your mom is going to be so proud.”

“And my dad will be relieved.”

They share a quiet laugh before an awkward silence falls.

“Well, I guess I’d better get going-”

“Wait!” Oliver interrupts. “Let me at least walk you.”

Before she can answer, he runs out and opens the passenger side door, holding his hand out.

The two walk slowly up the driveway, neither quite ready to end the night. 

“Uhm, I just wanted to thank you again for asking me to go with you. I really had a awesome night.”

“Thank  _you_  for saying yes.” Oliver stops Sonia with a touch to her hand. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun tonight if you hadn’t come with me.”

“You probably would have, but I’ll accept the compliment anyway,” she teases, but frowns when she sees that Oliver isn’t teasing back. He’s got a look in his eyes she’s never seen before, a mixture of anxiety and fear, and it worries her.

“I mean it, Soso. I wanted you here with me more than anyone. You’re my best friend, and I wanted to take my best friend to prom.” He steps back and runs a nervous hand through his hair. “Okay, that’s not entirely true.”

Sonia’s heart drops into the pit of her stomach, and she has to force herself to not cry. Of course she wasn’t his first choice. She was his trusty back up date who would go with him no matter what other girls turned him down.

He notices her face, and quickly tries to recover. “What? Oh shit, no, that’s not how I meant it. Shit, I’m ruining everything. It’s not how it sounds, I swear. Dammit, you’d think I’d have inherited  _some_ charm from my dad,” he mumbles.

Sonia folds her arms and scrunches her face, a move she picked up from her mother years and years ago. “Then what did you mean?”

He takes a deep breath. “What I meant was that I have always wanted to ask you to come with me, but not just as my best friend.”

“But you said-”

“I know. I know I kept saying that I was asking as a friend and it wasn’t a date or anything, but that’s just because I was scared out of my mind. We’re best friends, and I’m sure you probably think of me as some weird cousin or older brother. Plus, you’re insanely smart and beautiful and intimidating in the best possible way. I just got scared that you would say no and it would mess up what we have, but I need to just get this off of my chest.”

He looks at her expectantly, but all she can do is stare. Her mind is frozen, her tongue tied, and Oliver grows increasingly worried.

“Look,” he says slowly, “I don’t expect you to feel the same way, and if you don’t, that’s fine. It won’t make you any less my friend, and I hope you can still be around me-”

He gets cut off by Sonia throwing her arms around him, tucking her face into the side of his neck.

“Of course I feel the same way, you big dummy.”

He pulls away and looks her in the eye. “You do?” 

“Yes,” she nods with a brilliant smile. “I was upset because I didn’t think you felt that way about me.”

A handsome, crooked smile crosses Oliver’s face before pulling her back into his arms. “This is the best night of my life.” He tucks a stray curl behind her ear, his thumb gently gracing the side of her neck. “Do you know what would make it even better?”

She shakes her head.

“If you would let me kiss you. C-can I kiss you, Sonia?”

Sonia swipes her tongue across her bottom lip and nods, the warmth of her tongue soon replaced by Oliver’s lips. It was chaste, but still overwhelming.

“Wow,” he breathes once they pull away. “That was…”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “It totally was.”

He smiles again before glancing down at his watch. “Shit, it’s past midnight.Your parents are going to kill me.”

Sonia fiddles with his bow tie and smiles. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m pretty sure my parents knew the second we pulled up and my dad is currently trying to keep my mom from peeking through the blinds and give is some privacy.”

His face blances. “So, you’re parents know what we’re doing out here?”

“Would you stop worrying. My parents love you and are most likely very happy right now. But I probably should get inside before my dad can’t control my mom anymore and she runs out here to congratulate us.”

“Yeah, probably not the best way for the Governor to wake her neighbors. I’d better get home anyway before my parents start to worry. Unless of course your mom calls my mom before I get there.”

“There is a 95% chance of that happening.”

Oliver leans forward and gives Sonia a soft kiss on the cheek. “I’ll Gryzzl chat you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be waiting.” She gives his hand another squeeze before walking the rest of the way to the front door.

Her father was right. Prom night really is special.   


End file.
